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Akal Takhat - The Attack

Operation Blue Star was the codename for the attack on the Akal Takhat and the Golden Temple complex during the period June 1 to 6, 1984. The Indian army invaded the Harmandir Sahib complex on the orders of the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi. At the time of the operation, close to 100,000 army troops had been deployed throughout Punjab. A group of Sikhs, led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale
(the charismatic leader of the Damdami Taksal) had, after being
expelled from one of the Niwas (guest houses) moved into the Akal
Takhat.

Besides the historic weapons carried by Sikhs, the kirpans and khandas,
the group which had fortified the historic Takhat, with rifles, assault
weapons & grenades, numbered no more than 250. The Golden Temple,
the surrounding Bungas and guest houses and Langar
were filled with 2,000 or more pilgrims, guests and employees of the
complex. Many had come to visit the Temple on the day associated with
the Martyrdom of Guru Arjan.

The Army commanders had thought that the size and might of the
forces employed to route the Takht's occupiers would convince the
Singhs to surrender, but in a long tradition that has seen the
Harmandir Sahib sacked and all but destroyed many times in the past,
almost all of the Singhs had chosen to stand their ground, to fight and
to fall as their historic, legendary Khalsa
brothers of the past had done, so many times before, as martyrs
defending this holiest site of the Sikh religion from another invasion.

In the attack around 1,600 innocent pilgrims, men, women and
children, were also killed in the operation which saw the use of heavy
artillery, rockets and tanks being employed, as well. More than 3000
soldiers of the Indian army from many different states, were killed
during the attack with more than double that number injured.

Operation Bluestar

Some history leading up to the attack.

On 13th April 1977, the head of the fake Nirankaris named
Gurbachan led a procession in Amritsar. Earlier he had declared that
"If Guru Gobind Singh can make five beloved one's, he will make seven
stars". The fake Nirankaris are strongly associated with Arya Samajis
and other such organization which came out of need to reform Hinduism,
they were seeking to free Hinduism from its age old superstitions and
rituals—the same rituals that Guru Nanak had rebuffed even in his
childhood. However, instead of targeting the common Hindu awash in such
ritualism, this movement's individuals spearheaded their efforts
towards the Sikhs.

The fake Nirankaris,
and another group of the same ilk, the Arya Samajis, wanted the Sikhs
to shave off their beards, doff their turbans and doubtless shear their
long hair, losing many of their ties to Guru Gobind Singh's 5 Kakars,
and assimilate into Hinduism (or Hinduism, as they saw it, with
such rituals as "Havan"). So on the occasion of Vasakhi, the very day
that the Khalsa was born , the same day of the Jallawalian Bagh
massacre--Gurbachan Nirankari
had the unmitagated gall to lead an armed mob right through Amritsar,
to the Holy Takhat (for Sikhs the Eternal Throne of Akaal Purack.)

Jarnail Singh Bhindrenwale was, at this time, a little known
preacher, who would visit villages and preach to youngsters to reaffirm
the essential credos of their Gurus and return to Sikhi. The Akhand
Kirtani Jatha (an Akali group with a totally opposing viewpoint, to say
the least), with its leaders, set out from the Akal Takht to stop
Gurbachan Nirankari for his inflamatory, "Creating five stars" boast, a
non-to-suttle suggestion that he would best Guru Gobind Singh
ji. Gurbachan and his armed accomplices opened fire on the Akalis and,
one by one, a total of 13 Akalis were killed.

After this incident, Bhindrenwale's reputation as, a young
Lion of Lions, a potentially powerful Sikh leader, rose tremendously in
the Sikh community and in Sikh political circles. From 1977 until 1983,
Bhindrenwale led his agitation against the Arya Samajis and other
fanatic Hindu organizations who were working against Sikhi and concept
of Punjabiat. There were, as well, many Sikhs who opposed him for his
fanatical views. Many of his followers were young rural Sikhs, who had
been disappointed with both the state and central government due to
unemployment, poverty and other problems. After a long trail that
dragged on for 3-4 years, Gurbachan Nirankari, was acquitted by an
Indian court, even though more than 10 persons identified him as one of
the murderers and testified so in court, it was clearly evident that
there were political heavy weights behind him as well as behind
Bhindrenwale.

Young Motor Cycle Driving Terrorists

By 1983 about 500-1000 people had been murdered throughout the
Punjab by armed brigades of young motor cycle driving terrorists who
would suddenly appear and with one burst of machine gun fire kill 10-15
people. Prominent Arya samaji leaders and news paper publishers of the
Hind Samachar group such as Lala Jagat Narain were gunned down--the
Government of India implicated Bhindrenwale and arrested him at Chowk
Mehta in 1982, but he was released in two days. Then, in the later half
of 1982 he moved to the Golden temple complex where he setup his
headquarters in Guru Ram Das Sarai. In 1984 he moved to the Akal Takht.

Indira Gandhi and the government of India declared presidential
rule in Punjab and deployed 4 Army divisions throughout Punjab, in a
desperate attempt to flush out Bhindrenwale and his sympathizers from
the Golden Temple complex.

The Attack Begins

Then it all started, I quote from the much acclaimed book, Amritsar Mrs. Gandhi's Last Battle, by Mark Tully and Satish Jacob,

"At Seven o'Clock on the evening of 5th June, tanks of the 16th
Cavalry Regiment of the Indian army started moving up to the Golden
Temple complex. They passed Jalianwala Bagh, the enclosed garden where
General Dyer massacred (in the wanton slaughter of nearly 400 peaceful
men, women and children, which dealt a mortal blow to Britain's rule of
India energizing India's cry for Azadi (freedom).

When Mrs. Gandhi was told that Operation Blue Star had started,
she could not have imagined that the attack would be the flashpoint of
inspiration for a Sikh independence movement, a movement which then had
very little support save Bhindrenwale's entourage and some small,
scattered groups of Sikhs living in Britain, Canada and the United
States. Major-General Brar, the Indian commander, was leading a mixed
bag of troops, representative of the widespread recruiting pattern of
the modern Indian army, which had broken with the British tradition of
limiting recruitment to certain 'martial castes'. There were Dogras and
Kumaonis from the foothills of the Himalayas, India's northern border;
Rajputs, the desert warriors from Rajasthan; Madrasis from Tamil Nadu,
one of the most southern states; Biharis from the tribes of central
India and there were some Sikhs as well. Major Brar had joined the
Maratha Light Infantry 30 years ago in 1954 as a lieutenant. He had
fought in Bangladesh under Lieutenant-General Jagjit Singh Aurora, the
Sikh general who was the most outspoken critic of Operation Blue Star."

The Sikhs Holding the Akal Takhat

Bhindrenwale
and his group had occupied the Akal Takht, the highest seat of Sikh
authority, a few weeks before. He had been criticized for this act as
he was the only person other than Guru Hargobind,
and his family, to reside in the Akal Takht. The Jaththedar of the
Damdami Taksal was obviously spoiling for a fight--a last showdown with
the Indian army. Sure that sooner or later the Army would attack, he
wanted to go down in Sikh history as a martyr--not as a deserter or
negotiator as some viewed the other Akali political leaders. Thousands
of rural Sikh youth comprised his make shift forces but though they
were raw and inexperienced they were led by a man of history, the
highly decorated hero of the Bangladesh war General Shabeg Singh
who after a lifetime of exemplirary service, a few days before his
retirement, was dismissed and charged with petty crimes by the Indian
Army. Theirs' was a force of men, of young and old, Sikhs who like the
Sikhs of earlier days pittied those who died in bed as old men. Like
the Sikhs of Maharaja Ranjit Singh's days, they saw themselves engaged
in an epic battle--a battle of right and wrong.

The Attackers

Brar's superior officer was Lt-General Krishnaswamy Sunderji, who
asked his chief staff Officer, Lt-General Ranjit Singh Dayal, to draw
up the plans for Operation Blue Star. Dayal, like Brar was a Sikh, but
he had not shaved his beard or cut his hair, and still wore a turban.
Dayal was also an infantry soldier, having served in the Ist Battalion,
the Parachute Regiment, which was to spearhead the attack on the Golden
Temple Complex. During the 1965 war with Pakistan, Dayal became legend
by capturing a pass which had previously been thought to be
impregnable, and blocking off one of the most important routes from
Pakistan-Controlled Kashmir into Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. A
frontal assault was impossible and so Lt-General Dayal climbed up the
mountains towering over Haji Pir pass and came down on top of the
Pakistanis.

Dayal, Sundarji and Brar drew up at twofold plan. The essence
of this plan was to separate the hostel complex from the Temple complex
so that the Pilgrims staying in the hostels could be evacuated without
becoming involved in the main battle. To achieve the prime objective to
get Bhindrenwale out of the temple complex they had planned a commando
operation. Commandos were to be supported by infantry, tanks were only
to be used as platforms for machine guns to neutralize fire on troops
approaching the Golden Temple complex, and to cover the Temple exits in
case anyone tried to escape. Armored personnel carriers were to be
positioned on the road separating the hostels from the Temple complex
to keep the two potential battle fields apart.

Operation Bluestar, the plans go awry

The plans first task was the destruction of Major-General Shahbeg
Singh's outer defenses. Much of this had been completed in the
preliminary firing when Major-General Brar had hoped to frighten
Bhindrenwale into surrendering. These defences included the seventeen
houses which the police had allowed Bhindanwale's followers to occupy
in the alleys sorrounding the Golden Temple. Some of them were as far
as 800 yards away from the complex. These outposts were all in wireless
contact with Shahbeg Singh's command post in the Akal Takht. The Temple
View Hotel, outside the Temple complex, had also been occupied. Next to
it was Brahmbuta Akhara, a large bulding housing the headquarters of a
Sikh sect. Then there were three main towers which had been fortified
to make positions from which Bhindranwale's men could fire into the
Golden Temple complex. Because they stood well above the rest of the
building, the towers were also excellent observation posts observing
the movement of troops in the narrow alleys sorrounding the Temple. The
tops of these towers were blasted off by artillery fire. The use of
artillery in the dense city of Amritsar prooved very costly, especially
in human lives, many innocent people living in close proximity of the
Golden Temple were killed. Then the commando operation started.

It was between 10 and 10:30 PM when commandos from 1st
Battalion, the parachute regiment, wearing black denims were ordered to
run down the steps under the clock tower on to the parikarma, or
pavement, turn right and move as quickly as they could round the edge
of the sacred tank to the Akal Takht. But as the paratroopers entered
the main gateway to the Temple they were cut down. Most of the
casualties were caused by Sikhs with light machine-guns who were hiding
on either side of the steps leading down to the parikarma. The few
commandos who did get down the steps were driven back by a barrage of
fire from the building on the south side of the sacred pool. In the
control room, in a house on the opposite side of the clock-tower,
Major-general Brar was waiting anxiously with his two supporting
officers to hear that the commandos had established positions inside
the complex. When no report came through he was heard over the command
network saying, "You bastards, why don't you go in."

The few commandos who survived regrouped in the square outside
the Temple, and reported back to Major-General Brar. He reinforced them
and ordered them to make another attempt to go in. The commandos were
to be followed by the 10th Battalion of the Guards commanded by a
Muslim, Lieutenant-colonel Israr Khan. This battalion had Sikh soldiers
in its rank. The second commando attack managed to neutralise the
machine-gun posts on either side of the steps and get down on to the
parikarma. They were followed by the Guards who came under withering
fire and were not able to make any progress. They radioed for
permission to return fire at the buildings on the other side of the
tank. That would have put the Golden Temple sitting in the middle of
the Sarovar directly in the line of fire.

Brar refuses to allow fire towards the Golden Temple

Brar refused permission. But then he started to get messges from the
commander of Guards reporting heavy casualties. They had suffered
almost 20 percent casualties without managing to turn the corner of the
parikarma to the western side. Sikhs would also suddenly appear from
man-holes in the parikarma the Guards were fighting from, let off a
burst of machine-gun fire or throw lethal grenades, and disappear into
the passages which run under the Temple. These machine-gunners had been
taught to fire at knee-level because Major-General Shahbeg Singh
expected the army to crawl towards its objective, But the Guards and
commandos were not crawling, and so many of them received severe leg
injuries.

Brar, then decided on a change of plans. He ordered his men to
occupy the roof tops of the clock towers as well as all the rooms along
the parikarma. Army commandos rushed in from the main clock tower
entrance, their objective being to neutralize fire from the Akal Takht
to the North. They ran into trouble as soon as they went down the
steps, automatic gunfire hit them from both sides of the stairs and
more then 40 commandos lost their lives in less then five minutes,
amazingly only two of Bhindrenwale's supporters were firing at them.
The Next batch of commandos were able to run down the stairs and turn
right but here again, automatic gun fire from the Akal Takht, as well
as the old towers and water tank hit them.

By this time Soldiers from the Bihar regiment had cordoned off
the whole Golden Temple complex, but not very effectively. The Madras
regiment had tried to enter through the Eastern gate and had
encountered many difficulties. While Kumaonis from the North, close to
the Langar, were trying to gain entry, desperately, without much
success. So General Brar requested tanks to be brought into the Golden
Temple complex, instead of a heavy tank an armored personnel carrier
entered. It had just crossed the octagonal tile that marks the Samadh
of Baba Deep Singh when it was blown up by a rocket launcher.

Brar again requested tanks and was allowed this time.
According to Giani ji of Golden Temple, who was present at Golden
Temple itself during all this time, as many as 13 tanks were brought
into parikarma and lined up on the eastern side, expensive marble was
crushed and whole eastern parikarma broke. Brar ordered to blew up the
Akal Takht and thus the highest seat of Sikh authority was brought down
by Indian army. Bhai ji at basement of Akal Takht tells us that
Bhindrenwale came to Guru Granth Sahib and after Ardas said "Those who
want to be martyrs come with me" then he dashed outside in front of
Akal Takht and was greeted with bullets, like about 40-50 of his group.
Many were able to reach Sarovar . Next morning, Indian army was
responsible for gutting down historical Sikh relic, some soldiers set
fire to Sikh library and many historical manuscripts were lost as well
as treasury Toshakhana was gutted. There were more then 140 bullets
marks on Golden Temple itself, even though Indian army insisted that
not a single bullet was fired towards Golden Temple.

Sikh pilgrims who were held up by Army in buildings in and
around Guru Ram Das Sarai, Teja Singh Samundri Hall, etc. These
innocent bystanders were not given any food or water for 4 days. Army
soldiers asked them to drink water mixed with urine from small puddles
on ground. One army soldier went berserk and fired on these innocent
pilgrims killing 70. About 40 or so bodies of Sikh men with their hand
tied up behind in execution style, were found in several rooms. A
Journalist saw a whole truck filled with bodies of women and children.
There is more then enough evidence that Army Soldiers were served
alcohol as well as cigarettes inside Golden Temple complex.

Unequal battle

It was an utterly unequal battle fought between a handful of Sikh
defenders led by Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale assisted by Major
General Shahbeg Singh and Bhai Amrik Singh versus the might of the
Indian Army headed by Lt. General Krishnaswamy Sunderjit assisted by
Lt. General Ranjit Singh Dyal and Kuldeep Singh Brar. The Sikh fighters
arms and ammunition were limited in comparison to the ones possessed by
the Indian Army.

Light Machine Guns and some old sten-guns (old British
machineguns), some carbines of 30 calibre Rifles, 303 Ri­fles,
revolvers and pistols of various calibre sand some hand grenad Tanks
heavy enough to grind their tracks into the marble of the Parkrama that
endless peaceful pilgrims have walked for centuries.

And of course the Sikh in the Akaal Takhat, who were the first
to live in the Takhat Since the Guru who had it built and first called
for Miri and Piri, had their most deadly weapon that day--the same
weapon that Baba Deep Singh
had had that day when his head fell on the very same Parkrama attacked
so many years before--the line had been crossed and the Shabad of
'then' was as real to them in 1984 as it was before:

"Jo to praym khaylan ka chaao, sir dhar talee galee mayree aao."

Those who wish to play the game of love (to follow the Sikh path), come to me with your head in your palm.

"It maarag pair dhareejai, sir deejai kaan na keejai."

If you wish your feet to travel this path, don't delay in accepting to give your head.

What chance did the Indian army, which was equipped with all kinds
of heavy and sophisticated weap­ons which included Main Battle Tanks
"Vijayanta", how­itzesr, heavy guns and canons using twenty-pounder
shells, mortars, machine guns, light machine guns and other pieces of
artillery normally used in a field war against an enemy country, have to win the other battle fought that day?

Besides, the army had stun-gas bombs, incendiary bombs, highly
explosive hand grenades. Armed Personnel Carriers. Armoured Carriers
and a lot of other sophisticated weaponry. The Army used Russian made
helicopters too.

The numerical strength of the Sikh militants was also
miserably insignificant in comparison to that of the In­dian Army. The
Sikh fighters were not more than two hundred whereas the Army's
numerical strength fight­ing them in the Complex was at least seven
thousand.

The Sikh fighters had no line of communication and source of
supply. They were totally cut off from the state. the country and the
world. They were completely besieged in the Golden Temple Complex,
particularly inside the Akal Takht. Supply of electricity and water was
cut off. They had no reserves to reinforce their positions. They had
nothing to eat but roasted grains, nothing to drink but their own sweat
oozed from their bodies due to scorch­ing heat. They had no place to
answer the call of nature. They could not sleep for seven days and
seven nights. They were exhausted and weared out under these horri­ble
conditions. On the other hand Indian Army had all sorts of provisions,
facilities, reserves and what not. Yet the Sikhs fought gallantly and
demonstrated their remarkable valour, courage and fighting skill. Yet
they held the well equipped Indian Army at bay for five days and gave
it a bloody reply, the reply which the Army would remember for ever.
Had the militant Sikhs been equally armed, had their numerical strength
been even one-tenths of the In­dian Army, they^vould have pushed the
Army up to Delhi or even beyond Jamuna.

The unequal battle, that the handful supporters of Sant
Bhindranwale fought has been recorded in the golden letters in the
history of the Sikhs. The entire credit for this exemplary valour goes
to Sant Bhindranwale who had inspired the Sikhs who filled their will
to fight for their rights and defend their faith.

Is it any exag­geration to say that after Guru Gobind Singh it
was Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale who has taught the Khalsa to live
with dignity and die with honour.

He surrendered himself completely to the will of God; his faith
remained unshaken; whatever God ordained tasted sweet to him. Was he
not as a true man of God convinced that all that happened is by the
command of the Lord; and that his duty was to accept His command
cheerfully.

Has the battle for respect and equality that he was fighting
for been lost? Are swords really mightier than words. He and his
partners, the shaheeds of those days and before, have done their part
in getting India's and the world's attention. What are the next steps?